Behind the Scenes Before $550 Million Powerball Drawing

Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

The lottery has four machines, which are called halogens. No one knows which one will be used until 90 minutes before the scheduled drawing when they are taken to the studio.

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Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

The lottery has four machines, which are called halogens. No one knows which one will be used until 90 minutes before the scheduled drawing when they are taken to the studio.

Seniboye Tienabeso/ABC

Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

The balls, which are stored in black cases, are loaded into a machine before a drawing.

Seniboye Tienabeso/ABC

Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

The balls are made of rubber and can only be touched with gloves to protect them from dirt and grime.

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Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

Two halogens in the Tallahassee studio where the drawings take place.

Seniboye Tienabeso/ABC

Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

Visitors are only allowed to handle balls, such as these, that have been retired from the lottery. Every effort is made to keep the balls that are used in the machines free of dirt and grime.

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Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

In order to enter the vault where the balls and halogens are kept, three people, each with their own access keys, must enter in unison.

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Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

The balls used in the four halogens are stored in black briefcases before the drawings.

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Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

These balls may have once been part of winning combinations that made countless ticket holders millionaires, but they're now retired. Visitors are only allowed to handle retired rubber balls.

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Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

More than 131,000 tickets per minute were sold today in the run-up to the record-breaking $550 million jackpot drawing. Here are the buttons that release the balls and randomly choose the winning numbers.

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Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

The vault, where the halogens and balls are kept, is monitored by two cameras at all times. Seven cameras monitor every angle of the studio.

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Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

The numbered balls sit in the machines, which are called halogens.

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Powerball Lottery Behind the scenes

Anticipation is high before the drawing. Officals said the jackpot could exceed the estimated $550 million before the drawing, as people scramble at the last minute to buy tickets.